By Gregg Brekke, Presbyterian News Service.
Concluding its 2015 annual gathering, the Israel/Palestine Mission Network (IPMN) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recommitted itself to finding hope and peace for Israel/Palestine even as tensions and violence escalate.
Meeting at Chicago’s Cenacle Retreat and Conference Center Oct. 29–31, 2015, the group spent time in worship, workshops, synod gatherings and hearing from Palestinian partners. Many attendees had also visited Israel/Palestine recently and brought first-hand reports from partners in the region.
Several workshops on Friday introduced emerging issues and concerns. A workshop titled “Liturgical Language” invited attendees to consider how the use of terms such as Israel, in historic and biblical or hymn references, can be understood separate from the modern state of Israel. Conversation took place regarding possible divestment from the global security company G4S due to what the group sees as human rights violations against Palestinians. They also spoke of the “No Way to Treat a Child” campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of the Israeli military’s detention of children.
A Friday afternoon keynote speech by Sa’ed Atshan, who is originally from Palestine and is now a professor of peace and conflict studies at Swarthmore College, was titled “East-West Solidarity in a Time of Christianophobia.”
“How do we build greater solidarity between Palestinian and American Christians?” Atshan asked at the outset of his presentation. “How de we also address the struggles of Christian communities throughout the Middle East and their possible extinction?”
These questions, he posed, are at the heart of the struggle to maintain a Christian presence in the Middle East. He also named Israeli policies as the main factor in the exodus of Christians from the region.
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As far as the IPMN, the operative term is IPMN of the PCUSA. The PCUSA owns the process, content, intent, speakers, design and desired outcome of the process. And as was in full display last year. “Zionism Unsettled” spoke all that needed to be said on their intent. Israel and Jews to the sea, terrorism empowered though out the Middle East.
Again, well done PCUSA.
Perhaps you could point out where Zionism Unsettled advocates ” Jews to the sea” or “terrorism empowered though out the Middle East.” Failing that, perhaps you could explain why one would not then conclude that this post is a case of gross dishonesty.
Nice touch inviting speakers who blame Israel for the plight of Christians in the M.E. Rabid anti-Semitism.
In response to Mr. West. If you choose to defend “Zionism Unsettled” by all means do so. but you defend the undefensible. The key take away from the document is that the so-called “two state” solution does not envision Israel and Palestine living in peace and harmony side by side, but the eventual extinction and extermination of Israel as a nation-state and by extension Jews, by its assumption of empowerment of the terrorist entities of the PLO and Hamas as a nation state with powers of. And the assumption of the failed “peace for land” which Israel has tried a number of times only to be met by knives and bombs in response.
In their heart of hearts, which they will never confess, the IPMN and its PCUSA pay masters at the end of the day share much in common with the Iranian mullahs. That the world in general, and the ME in particular would be a far better place if Jews and Israel simply did not exist. Which by definition is antisemitism in its most vile form. And the IPMN/PCUSA owns that image and that brand.
In other words, you cannot back up what you have claimed and our assumption about your original post is indeed correct.
Peter Gregory is correct, as is Todd in saying that blaming Israel for the plight of Christians in the Middle East is rabid anti-Semitism.
The position that PCUSA has taken against Israel is against scripture. This is one of many reasons that my family is now attending a Southern Baptist church.